CRITO BY PLATO

 CRITO BY PLATO

सुकरात अगर जहर ना पीता तो मर जाता

Introduction:

Crito is a dialogue written by Plato. He was an ancient Greek philosopher. This text shows a conversation between Socrates and his rich friend, Crito of Alopece. They talk about justice, injustice, and how to respond when someone is treated unfairly. The story takes place after Socrates has been imprisoned. It happens right after the events described in Apology.

 

In the dialogue, Socrates says that doing wrong to others is never right, even if they have done wrong first. He brings the Laws of Athens to life, as if they could speak. He uses this idea to explain why he cannot escape from prison. He also refuses Crito’s offer to pay for his escape. This dialogue includes one of the earliest ideas of what we now call the social contract theory of government. Today, scholars still debate what Crito really means. Some say it shows that people must always obey the laws. Others say the message is more complex. This dialogue is also interesting because Plato does not seem to add his own opinions here. It was likely written around the same time as Apology.

 

Setting
The conversation takes place in 399 BC. It happens in Socrates’ prison cell. This is about a month after his trial in Apology. In that trial, an Athenian jury found him guilty of impiety.

Characters
There are two speakers in the dialogue:

1.    Socrates of Alopece

2.    Crito of Alopece – He is a good friend of Socrates and about the same age.

 

Background
After his trial, Socrates stayed in prison for four weeks. He would be executed in a few days. Historians do not know exactly where his cell was. But archaeologists believe the old prison of Athens was located about 100 meters southwest of the Heliaia court. That spot is just outside the agora, the central market area of Athens.

 

Plato’s version of Socrates is written as a literary work. So, it is hard to know whether everything in the dialogue is historically true. We cannot be sure how much of Plato’s writing shows the real thoughts of Socrates. Another writer, Xenophon, said that Plato’s friends had made escape plans. But it is not clear how those real plans match the ones described in the text. Some scholars believe Plato’s character of Socrates is close to the real man. Philosopher William K. C. Guthrie says the idea of a social contract fits well with Socrates’ own beliefs.

 

Brief Summary of Crito:

Crito visits Socrates because he has learned that Socrates will be executed the next day. He wants to rescue him. Crito has already made plans. He says he will bribe the guards. He assures Socrates that he has enough money. He also says that some of their friends are ready to help. After the escape, Socrates will be taken to Thessaly. There, Crito and his friends will give him shelter and food. Crito says that if Socrates dies, he will lose a dear friend. That will be a personal loss to him. He also adds that Socrates' children will suffer. They will not get the proper education that the children of a philosopher deserve. Crito argues that having children comes with duties. A man must not ignore those duties. If Socrates refuses to escape, people will blame Crito and his friends. They will think the friends were too selfish to save Socrates. Crito also warns Socrates about public opinion. He says the common people can harm someone with their harsh judgments. He advises Socrates not to worry about the risk. Crito and his friends are ready to take it. They believe saving Socrates is worth the danger.

 

Socrates listens carefully. Then he asks Crito to let him respond. He wants to speak about deeper moral questions. Socrates begins by saying that wise opinions matter. The views of the educated should be heard. The ideas of people with biases can be ignored. Just because a view is popular does not make it right. Socrates gives an example. An athlete must listen to his doctor, not to his fans. The doctor knows what is best. In the same way, a good life must be based on reason. Socrates says that doing injustice harms the soul. A life of injustice is not worth living for a true thinker. A person must choose a good life, not a long one. So, escaping must be judged by whether it is just or not. Socrates does not agree with Crito’s worries about shame or the future of his sons. These reasons do not matter to him. He compares such thoughts to a man who kills and then regrets it. Socrates reminds Crito that they have always followed the same values. It would be foolish to leave them now. Even if the state is wrong, answering it with more wrong is still unjust.

 

Socrates then raises a key point. Is it right to harm others or break a duty? He tells Crito to imagine speaking to the laws of Athens. These laws would ask why Socrates wants to break them now. They would say that if every person broke laws they disliked, the state would fall into disorder. They would remind Socrates that he had lived in Athens for years. He had accepted the laws. He had raised his children under these laws. He could have left the city if he wanted. But he stayed. Now, by running away, he would be saying that laws do not matter. If he escapes, he puts his friends in danger. They may lose money or be punished. If he flees to another city, good people there will not trust him. They will see him as someone who broke the law. He will not be respected. He will live in chaos. He will have no peace. He will be like a man who betrayed his own ideals. He will have nothing left but food and survival. Socrates says that if he stays and dies, he remains just. He will be wronged by men, not by the law. But if he escapes, he will wrong the law and betray his own search for justice.

 

At the end, Socrates compares himself to the Korybantes. These were men who danced in religious ecstasy, hearing only the sound of flutes. Socrates says he feels that way. He hears the voice of reason and cannot listen to anything else. He tells Crito to stop him if he disagrees. But Crito has nothing more to say.

- Dr. Jignesh Panchal